Speak Review

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Release date: October 22, 1999
Pages: 208
Publisher: Puffin
How I got it: Bought 

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.                         --------------------- 

There is not a lot that I can say about Speak that has not already been said countless times, better than I can say it. But I guess I'll try.

Speak was my first Laurie Halse Anderson book, but it definitely will not be my last. It's totally easy to see why Speak gets all of the praise it does, and a huge reason for said praise is Anderson. She is a fantastic writer and storyteller. Her writing is sparse yet shockingly poetic, sad and dark but at times hilarious. I cannot wait to read another of her books.

What was shocking to me was the humor in Speak, especially regarding high school, from teachers to cheerleaders, all without being cheesy or stereotypical. Melanie's had a really crappy life--especially the past year, yet her voice is still easy to relate to and funny despite her PTSD.

Speak will have you laughing in the face of tough, dark subject matter. It will make your stomach hurt in sympathy pains for Melanie. Despite being published over ten years ago, Speak is as refreshing and poignant as ever, and I fear for a time when it won't be.

Plot: Could've been a Lifetime-movie-style trainwreck, but it so wasn't.

Characters: We only really only get to know Melanie, but I loved her. And the glimpses we get of the side characters are great as well.

Writing: Absolutely fantastic.

Ending: Great.

Mature content: This book mainly revolves around a rape, so it's dark, and I think there's some swearing as well. (With that being said though, I think this would be a great book to read-along with a teen that's about to enter high-school.)

Overall:

I thought about this book before I went to sleep and as soon as I woke up.

Melanie's story is one that is nearly impossible to forget, no matter how long ago you read it. I read it in January yet the story is still as fresh in my mind as ever. Speak is not to be missed.

Other reviews:
Tiny Library
Miss Remmers' Reviews
The Overflowing Library

We Will Not Be Silenced. We Will Speak Loudly As Long As We Breathe.

You have obviously heard about today's cruel injustice done to lovers of YA and books in general by a small paper in Missouri and a certain delusional man going by the name of Wesley Scroggins. I have never read Speak (but trust me, I will be very soon), nor the other books he mentioned, Twenty Boy Summer or Slaughterhouse Five. But that doesn't mean that this man, or anyone, for that matter, has the right to say I don't.

I showed a friend who had read the book, and she insisted that he had obviously not read the book (I, personally, have to question if he even read the summary) and should be ashamed of himself. I wholeheartedly agree with my awesome friend, even though I've never read the novel. Rape is, never has been, and never will be anything resembling "soft pornography", which is what Scroggins' so disgustingly said. Here is my letter to the editor:

I cannot begin to tell you how disgraceful I find Wesley Scroggins' article, demanding a book ban on Twenty Boy Summer and Speak and calling Speak "soft pornography." Let me just say that he clearly hasn't read Speak and probably not even the summary.

If he finds rape (including a teenage girl) pornographic then he is obviously sick and has no place telling children what to and not to read and I honestly hope he receives the help he so desperately needs.

In fact, as an avid reader, NO ONE should be telling me or any other minors what to read unless they are our guardians. It's one of the things that I love about this country, and as a newspaper editor, I'm sure you agree.

I hope you and Mr. Scroggins realize just how many readers, writers, and rape victims you've infuriated to heights we didn't know possible. Here is my blog post, including this letter and links to other bloggers' thoughts. Combined, we have thousands of readers. Thousands of readers who will not stand for this, and will continue to speak out against book banning.

There isn't much more I feel like I can say, but here's just a few wonderful bloggers and who found different views and words to use:

Laurie Halse Anderson, Author of Speak
Word For Teens
Good Books and Wine
The Story Siren
A.S. King
Consumed by Books 
Bibliophilia-Maggie's Bookshelf 
Emile's Book World
Holes In My Brain
And there are countless others that I can't wait to read. (If you have a post, please comment giving me the link and I will gladly read and link to yours as well.)

#Speakloudly my friends. And don't stop.